Early Pregnancy Problems

Introduction
We traditionally divide pregnancy into three stages or trimesters, each about 13 weeks long. In the first trimester the embryo grows into a fetus, and the placenta (afterbirth) establishes itself in the uterus (womb). By the end of the first trimester the fetus is formed and the placenta is supplying the pregnancy from the mother's circulation.

In order to make each of us unique, nature takes risks when creating a new life. If the pregnancy or body realise that the pregnancy is unlikely to result in a healthy baby, the pregnancy is stopped and the woman miscarries. Fortunately, not all bleeding in early pregnancy is a miscarriage; in fact only about a third of women who present with bleeding will have a miscarriage.

Bleeding in early pregnancy
Naturally, when a woman develops bleeding in early pregnancy, it causes concern. Not only is there the possibility of a miscarriage, there is also the small chance that the pregnancy may not be in the womb (an ectopic pregnancy). So the first trimester is a critical period in determining the outcome of a pregnancy, with miscarriage the single most common complication of pregnancy. (Continued next page)